Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1887-01-20

The New York Times says that tl,er.
Is great need of a means Of PROMPT
communication, ct ween lecleryynn,, !,
IN the pulpit and the sexton at the
other end Of the church has long been,
apparent. True. there are constantly
arising cOntingciric. in which it is AL
sOlutely necessary that the minister
should communicate with the sexton.
For example the minister needs u glass
OF water; or. in the ease OF ralnl,g,..
say, n lotion for a. spraincd leg. He
needs to ask n question of "a vestry-
man, or he wants to have n warden
walked up or II crying baby removed.
In these circumstances the aid of the
sexton is Indispensable; but, as that
ftinctiOnary Is at the extreme end of
the church, and is. perhaps, absorbed
in watching n pew full of bows who are
on the point Of breaking into oIm.,
disorder, his attention cannot he
he attracted. Many plans have been
'trcistst by ingenious ministers to
establish, communication with the
sexton. There was the Rev. Mr.. SAN
ford. of Sl,ebOygan. who invented n
code of handkerchief signals. One
he wanted water; holding one end of
the handkerchief in his teeth and the
other in his right hand meant ..sl,ake
n hoy on the right side of the church,"
and waving the handkerchief three
To the sexton to poke the fire. The
system was ingenious, but it did not
work. for the sexton constantly mis-
al Al
grts,atiOn assumed that the minister
was engaged in n Irritation with the
soprano Of the choir. and that his
signals were made tor her benefit. The |
result WAS u scandal and an tsrlesi,s- !
tical trial. the remembrance of which I
Is doubtless still fresh in the readers I
memory. Then there was the Metho-
dist minister OF Oshkosh, who agreed
with his sexton that whenever he
exclaimed, ''Oli. my bret hren - u glass
of water should he brought to him.
This was for n time quite s,lccessful;
but one day the minister exchanged
p,ilpits with IL Baptist friend, without
warning the sexton that the Baptist
knew nothing of the signal code. 1t SO
hnplene'l that the Baptist preacher
began seventy-three sentences bv
WIN tie cNtGtIbutlOu,
''Oh, my brethren. and every time
the sexton brought him n glass
OF water. O course this attracted
attention. and excited the minister's
Indignation, who, regarded it as n sar-
c''sni on his denOminatiOnal fOndne>s
for water. Still. it is doubtful il he
was excusable for throwing the sew
enty-third glass with its contents at
La IL sxg
his conduct in kicking the latter down
the pulpit stairs admits Of no justiti-
cation. Tie sexton. of course, felt
OuI ragged, and ever afterwarl
refused to answer any signal that was
made to linn from the pulpit. The
Key: MIR. Carn,a popular Presbyterian !
minister IL the interior of New York,
invented y system Of signaling his
sexton VIII h had very marked merit.
lie caused 3, wire to be run from the ,
pulpit to tle sections pew, where it
rOnnected vitha pair Of leather4Oatesl
IRON clamps, so constructed that when e.
The wire was pulled the clamps would
gently pinch the sections leg. The
wire ran underneath the flooring of
the meeting house, and the clamps were
concealed under the sections seat, SO 5
hat no one except the minister and =
he sexton WAS aware of the existence !
d thu sacred telegraph. 1t was found u
20 work beautifully. When the min
ster wanted water. he pulled the wire =
,nrr. Two pulls meant that he wanted !.
o speak To the sexton. and three pulls
meant turn up the gas" The con- !. :
'resation wondered how it happened b
hat the service went so smoothly,
mi that the sexton always did the -
light thing at the right time, but they
we're destined to make n painful dis
'Oveiy OF the true state of affairs. TN
he last Sunday H. June Of this year
he sexton brought with him to the
morning service his IA i,lle-artsl ma iden :.
'unt. who WAS pay .ng him n brief !"
,lsit. and whose heir ne hoped tn be- j
BY some unexplained accidcnt le for :.
Ot all about the si-nnl wire. and a,
bowed the aunt into he seat which
~ ordinarily occupied, IN / was Obliged "
o take another seat on the opposite 81
i'ie of the aisle. Directly behind the 70
unit sat Deacon Brown. one Of the &.
'illars Of the cOngresation--;,n aged "a
nan of the most unblemishesl char q,
cter. The minister had began his
ernon. and had just finished the .
xordi,lm, when lac felt thirsty and
isnaled for II glass of water. To his
iirprise. thor was no answer made to
he signal. Probably the maidea aunt
ias more surprised than was the Jo
Minister. for as soon rs she felt the to
oft pressure of tho clamps. she started i,
aieat alarm. and, turning her head, y
ave the innocent deacon n look of ~
d':nant virtue. The latter betrayed sc